Chelf perseveres at Oklahoma St.

Sports

Related Photos

Dave Ruthenberg..THE DEEP END..

Discussion

October 28, 2012

Chelf perseveres at Oklahoma St.

By Dave Ruthenberg, Sports Editor Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sun Oct 28, 2012, 12:56 AM CDT

Perseverance. That would be the word best likely to describe Oklahoma State quarterback, and former Enid Plainsmen standout Clint Chelf.

The 2012 season started out on a difficult note for Chelf, who found himself finishing third in the three-man race to become OSU’s starting quarterback following the departure of last year’s starter Brandon Weeden, who now has the unenviable task of leading the Cleveland Browns offense.

The Cowboys, coming off the most successful year in their history in 2011, claimed a Big 12 crown (whipping nemesis Oklahoma 44-10 in the process) and finished ranked third nationally after a 41-38 overtime win over No. 4 Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. But the departure of Weeden meant a wide-open competition for the signal caller’s spot and if anybody assumed Chelf, Weeden’s backup last season, was automatically in line to assume the reins, they, and Chelf, quickly found out differently.

Gundy and company made no secret of the fact it was a three-man derby between junior Chelf, true freshman West Lunt and redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh. At the end of the derby, Gundy surprised a lot of folks by naming Lunt the starter followed by Walsh, leaving Chelf as the No. 3 option.

Chelf could have packed it in as it was a tough blow for somebody who had put up nearly 3,000 yards in offense in his senior season as the Plainsmen QB and had anticipated assuming the starter’s role this season. But to his credit, and despite the obvious disappointment, he decided to hang in at OSU.

“It was extremely tough, especially in the beginning when it was something I wanted so bad and something I worked so hard for,” Chelf told the Enid News & Eagle before the season began. He said he went home and continued to work on his game. No doubt he spent some of his time talking it over with his father, Randy, who walked on to the OSU football team after a successful run in 8-man football at Kremlin-Hillsdale.

The family connection to OSU also includes Clint’s older brother, Colton, who played wide receiver at OSU and was Clint’s teammate. There also is a strong sense of commitment within the Chelf household based on what Clint Chelf told us in the preseason.

“Where we come from with our family, quitting isn’t an option for us,” he said.

Not that anybody would have blamed him for considering other options. He had put up decent numbers in limited duty, appearing in five games each in his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons, throwing for 571 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Prior to Saturday’s game, he had appeared in two games this season and was 2-for-5 in limited duty, while biding his time.

But Chelf’s time may still come this season, as Walsh is now out for the season after stepping into the starting role following an injury to Lunt, who returned to the starting lineup Saturday against TCU, with Chelf serving as backup and getting equal reps in practice this week with Lunt.

It’s a bit of an uncomfortable role though, as Chelf acknowledged in an interview this week in The Oklahoman.

“Obviously, I’m friends with J.W. and Wes and I never would want to see them get hurt,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, and I hope they get back soon. But at the same time, you’ve just got to stay ready.”

Whatever way the remainder of the season turns out, Chelf’s determination and perseverance serve as contrasts to the typical “me first” attitude of many collegiate athletes.

He may not be a starter, but his attitude remains first-string.

Ruthenberg is sports editor at the News & Eagle. Contact him at daver@enidnews.com.

Text Only

Sports

Aggies give D-II series a state flavor
A tip of the hat to Murray State College for winning the Plains District tournament this weekend to assure there will be an Oklahoma team in the upcoming NJCAA Division II World Series at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
The Aggies, who were 5-0 against Northern Oklahoma College Enid this season, beat MCC-Longview 14-7 in the district championship game to take a 41-21 record into the tournament.
They are a team that should be easy for Enid fans to adopt as their own.

May 19, 2013 1 Photo
NJCAA Division II World Series Schedule
May 19, 2013
OU advances in softball
Top-ranked Oklahoma is headed to the NCAA Super Regionals after run-ruling Arkansas 14-1 in a regional softball final at Marita Hynes Field Sunday.
The Sooners (50-4) will host former Big 12 rival Texas A&M, now of the Southeastern Conference next weekend in a best two out-of-three series with the winner advancing to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

May 19, 2013 1 Photo
Majors-Minors twinbill rained out
April showers, bring may flowers.
May showers cancel a lot of baseball games.
Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader between the Enid Majors and Enid Minors was postponed for wet grounds from Saturday’s thunderstorms.
“The field was flooded,’’ Majors coach Chris Jensen said.

May 19, 2013
Sooners No. 4 seed after beating K-State
May 19, 2013
Radio-TV for 5-20-13
May 19, 2013
Hennessey's Aguirre taking tough times in stride
Car Aguirre looks strange confined to a wheelchair.
The story of how the newly-minted Hennessey grad got there is told loosely through a digital jigsaw puzzle — an accident, a near-tragedy, an outpouring of support, a recovery, all expressed in Facebook posts and internet traffic.

May 18, 2013 2 Photos
Enid’s Harmon 4th at endorser
Top-seeded Tyler Harmon, playing with an elbow injury, had a rough day at the 16-Under Oklahoma District Tennis Association Endorser Tournament Saturday at Oakwood Country Club.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
Ex-Majors make return to Enid for Alumni exhibition
Saturday was a time for Matt Peck and his former Enid American Legion teammates to set back the clock.

May 18, 2013
Jets reflect on tough season
Raydon Leaton’s ambition was to be the host team for the NJCAA Division II College World Series, which opens next weekend at David Allen Memorial Stadium.
Instead, Leaton’s Northern Oklahoma College Enid Jets went through some growing pains during a 17-39 season.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Chelf perseveres at Oklahoma St.

Site Map

Contact Us